At the first words, the men around the fire stood and approached the landing. They seemed satisfied and returned to the fire, except one who remained on shore. When the boat came within twenty paces, the man raised his carbine like a sentinel.
"Who comes there?" he called in Sardinian.
Franz cocked both barrels of his gun. Gaetano exchanged words with the sentinel in a language Franz didn't understand.
"Will your excellency give your name or remain anonymous?" Gaetano asked.
"Keep it anonymous. Just say I'm a Frenchman traveling for pleasure."
After Gaetano relayed this, the sentinel signaled to someone at the fire. A man rose and disappeared among the rocks, then reappeared from the opposite side. He nodded to the sentinel.
"Come aboard," the sentinel called.
